The Jedi Continuum
by sabra jaguar
Summary: What happens when Q decides to test the Jedi Order...and specifically Obi-Wan and Anakin? Crossover with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Complete! I hope...
1. Chapter 1

a/n: Hi! This story had been up for a while on a friend's site, but I thought I would post it here. Hopefully she won't mind. (To those who have read this Author's note before, I need to clarify something. I did write this story several years ago under the name Mon Padawan and a friend had posted it on her site for me. I hope you will forgive me for the confusion I caused. I made a **huge** mistake with imprecise wording.) Please R and R! I'd love to know what you all think.

Disclaimer: not mine! Mr. Lucas, Paramount, please don't hunt me down and kill me; I never meant it as an insult.

THE JEDI CONTINUUM

"Come, Padawan, we must return to the Jedi Temple," Obi-Wan Kenobi said, tucking his com-link back onto his belt. "The Council is expecting our report." And we have a good report to give this time, he thought, welcoming the calm presence of the Force flowing through him as he opened himself up to it. Beside him his Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker seemed unusually at ease as well, if occasionally slightly distracted by some internal feeling. Obi-Wan noted his apprentice's somewhat more relaxed air and approved.

Their mission had gone well. A dispute between sister planets over trade agreements, the planets had come to the realization that they needed each other, especially since they wanted to keep the Trade Federation away from their borders. Oh, they had threatened to join the Separatist movement, a ploy that alarmed the Jedi Council enough to send a Jedi team to help them negotiate, but it had turned out to be a hollow threat. For the first time in a long time, Obi-Wan felt like he and Anakin had earned a moment of peace in the maelstrom of political upheaval normally surrounding them, like they were in the eye of a storm. He almost didn't want to enter the ship and return to Coruscant, the place where the tension would be running highest given that it was the seat of the Republic's government. But they had to.

"Our mission was almost too easy this time, Master," Anakin said, giving voice to many of the thoughts that were running through Obi-Wan's head. But there was something else in his voice, a longing, discontent...

Obi-Wan frowned thoughtfully at his young charge. "Were you hoping for something more dangerous, Anakin? Be careful where these feelings lead you, young one. Danger and excitement are to be guarded against, not embraced," he gently chided the young man. "I thought you would have seen this by now, after all we've been through."

"Yes Master," Anakin sighed. "But we weren't needed this time. These planets wanted to solve their disagreements. The treaty was so important to them; all they needed us for was to witness their negotiation ceremony. We weren't necessary, Master, not even as mediators." He didn't even try to hide his frustration this time.

Obi-Wan shook his head reprovingly. "Don't discount our part in this, Padawan. Even seemingly insignificant roles can have monumental effect in the course of the galaxies," he sighed, adding, "especially now, it seems, in these trying times. We must simply follow where the Force leads us, and keep our minds clear to its paths."

Anakin replied, "Yes, Master," again, inwardly resenting Obi-Wan's need to lecture him.

Obi-Wan chose to ignore Anakin's restlessness for the moment, responding with, "We don't always need to solve disputes with lightsabers drawn, Anakin. Personally, I wouldn't mind if more of our missions resolved themselves like this one."

Anakin's eyes glinted. "We must follow where the Force leads, Master, even when it leads to danger and excitement," he reminded the older man with mock seriousness.

Obi-Wan said nothing, only raising an eyebrow in amusement as he led the way to their transport in the nondescript space hangar, which would allow their departure to be a little more low profile. The Jedi Knight understood that Anakin was glad the mission ended peacefully, even if he was dissatisfied with the role they played in the new partnership between the worlds. For his part, after seeing too many planetary alliances dissolve in spite of more active Jedi involvement, especially recently with the Separatists claiming more and more territory, it encouraged Obi-Wan to see this one survive and flourish the way it appeared to be doing. It was a small victory, but he would take it. And he was also glad to see Anakin beginning to heal as well emotionally, his heart recovering from the loss of his mother much more slowly than his body from the loss of his arm. But for the first time in a long time, Anakin seemed to be at peace. Both communicating their contentment to each other through their intangible bond in the Force, the two Jedi prepared to leave the planet.

Close by, mind cloaked to even Jedi perception, an unusual being watched, as usual amused and irritated by the presumptuousness of these human creatures. To think that these Jedi--who, he did have to admit, seemed to possess a little bit of power, and to an ordinary mortal might actually appear god-like--would dare convince themselves that they preserve peace and justice in the galaxy when it was really the Q...

Well, anyway, the entity known as Q wouldn't allow himself to dwell on that. He was curious to see how this pair of seemingly powerful beings would react to a being wielding real power...


	2. Chapter 2

_a/n: hi again. Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to people far more important and intimidating than I am. I just hope I am insignificant enough to sink beneath their notice, and that they know this is not meant as an insult to their wonderful creations._

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"Master, even you have to admit we Jedi sometimes use the same types of reasoning to justify our actions as those politicians you dislike," Anakin said with a sly grin to Obi-Wan, entering another political discussion as they prepared to take off. The debate had begun as an innocent comment on the outlook for the new planetary alliance they'd just witnessed, and had somehow changed into an argument about corruption in the Senate. Anakin hadn't wanted to be drawn into it but couldn't resist the opportunity to bait his Master, to see how he'd reply.

"No, I don't," Obi-Wan responded, his eyes twinkling though his face wore a seemingly serious frown. "Politicians bend facts to suit their own aims and goals. Jedi adhere to truths that are not always absolute and are therefore open to individual interpretation. We have the Force to guide us in those interpretations. Politicians have their own agendas to lead them in their actions. There is a difference, Padawan."

Anakin might have had a retort to Obi-Wan's opinions, but he forgot it as a suddenly grim look came over his Master's face. Then Anakin felt it as well. Both spun around to see a man standing there within the ship, an odd smile on his lips. Startled, the two Jedi stretched out with the Force, trying to discover the man's motives but felt--nothing.

"Ah, the all-powerful, all-knowing Jedi," the man said in a mocking tone. "You don't know what a pleasure it is to meet a few of the lowly beings who so valiantly try to lighten the Q's load."

Obi-Wan stared at the intruder, struggling to hide his astonishment. How did this man enter the ship without us knowing, he wondered, glancing around sharply but finding no explanation. Beside him he felt Anakin's surprise at the man's unexpected appearance as well.

Anakin impulsively took a step forward and demanded, "Who are you? What do you want?" He began to reach for his lightsaber but a slight warning gesture from his Master halted the motion.

"Anakin," was all Obi-Wan said, but it was enough to make the young man fall back to stand by Obi-Wan, although he was still tensed for battle.

"Oh, wise move, Master Jedi," the man said to the Jedi Knight, beginning to applaud. "Never confront an opponent until you know exactly what he's capable of. Especially if that opponent is me."

"What do you want from us, then?" Obi-Wan asked carefully, to gain time while trying unsuccessfully to bypass the other being's powerful mental defenses.

"Want from you?" the being sounded taken aback that Obi-Wan would ask such a question. "Believe me when I say that you have absolutely nothing that I could want. No, I come to offer you something, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Power beyond your wildest--"

"You begin to sound like the Sith," the Jedi interrupted, not knowing what to think. This man obviously knew a great deal more about Obi-Wan than Obi-Wan could discover about him. That the man's true motives were not discernible even through the Force disturbed the Jedi Knight far more than he allowed himself to reveal. Deep down he knew Anakin sensed it too and fervently hoped the boy would not try anything foolish.

"But I'm not," their visitor responded. "I am a member of the Q continuum. You may call me Q."

Obi-Wan grew more uneasy. If this Q wasn't a Jedi or of the Sith, then what was he? "Perhaps we should take this before the Jedi Council," he said slowly, still cautiously trying to probe the other's mind but sensing great power and nothing more.

"But why bother those guys when this is such an easy decision to make?" Q said earnestly, not seeming to care about the mental intrusion. "You Jedi have such a huge responsibility," he continued, sounding almost sympathetic. "Traveling through the cosmos, trying to keep the peace, meting justice wherever you go...almost like the Q, although in your own, insignificant way. And even though you guys decided to take this upon yourselves without even so much as asking for our blessing, we've decided to give it to you anyway."

The Jedi were silent for a moment. "I don't understand," Obi-Wan said finally, after trying to make sense of Q's speech. "What are you telling us?"

Q began to laugh unpleasantly. "Of course you don't understand. Your tiny human minds could never truly comprehend the full extent of what I'm offering you."

Beside Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker was growing more and more irritated. This game between the being and his Master was getting them nowhere. Unable to rein in his fury any longer, Anakin strode forward angrily, his hand on his lightsaber hilt. "You keep saying about this offer but you haven't explained to us what it is. What is this great gift you're supposedly offering us, anyway?" the apprentice Jedi demanded vehemently.

Once again Q laughed, as if the thought of Anakin being a threat to him was simply ludicrous. Anakin didn't flinch, although the laughter held a trace of menace in its tone. "Watch yourself, little man," Q warned amusedly. "I am capable of far more than you can possibly imagine."

The hiss of Anakin's lightsaber igniting answered Q's threat.

Obi-Wan's hand came down on Anakin's shoulder, the Jedi Knight desperate to stop the boy from starting something he couldn't possibly win, especially in the heat of anger. "Control, your anger, young Padawan," he cautioned, facing the Jedi apprentice who seemed annoyed by the intrusion. "Don't allow your emotions to gain mastery over you, Anakin. Allow the Force to guide your actions here, not your own passion."

For just an instant Anakin held his Master's gaze with a glare of his own and a flicker of worry coursed through Obi-Wan as he thought Anakin might simply disregard his counsel and attack the being anyway. Then the boy relaxed slightly as the lightsaber's blue glow was extinguished. "Sorry, Master," was all he said.

Obi-Wan looked toward their adversary to see Q regarding him curiously. "There are no points on your ears but I could have sworn you just sounded like a Vulcan!" he commented.

The Jedi dismissed the remark, which he assumed was an insult or inside joke of some sort. At any rate it wasn't the important thing. "My young Padawan is right, however," he said to Q. "You mention some type of power, but we don't know where it comes from. How do we know this power doesn't originate from the dark side of the Force, assuming it even exists?"

"Oh, it exists, all right, and it's greater than you can possibly imagine!" Q said defensively.

He wants us to recognize his superiority, Obi-Wan suddenly thought, noting the being's defense of his yet unseen powers. His arrogance seems to be his weakness. This Q lives to assert his strength over others by playing games with them! Maybe I should learn the rules...

In that Obi-Wan saw his opening, by challenging Q's claim to power while recognizing it existed. For the first time he felt himself to have put Q on the defensive, and he allowed himself a smile. "In that case, I don't think I'm interested," Obi-Wan said casually, as if refusing something of no significance. The Jedi realized his challenge would cause Q to back up his claims, but that was a risk he had to take.

For his part, Q seemed to be taken aback by Obi-Wan's off-handed dismissal of his offer. "But-but this is power beyond your wildest dreams!" he sputtered. "You could subdue enemies that won't negotiate! Creating anything with mere thought, a parlor trick! Kill and bring back to life...you'd be like a god! Think of all the civilizations you could help if you possessed my abilities, even in some small measure!" Q held out his hands as if trying to make a small child understand something important. "Don't you understand what it is I'm offering you?" he cried in frustration at Obi-Wan's apparent ignorance of the true scope of his gift.

Obi-Wan felt Anakin stiffen behind him when Q mentioned bringing people back from the dead and felt a flash of concern. Anakin, don't give him an opening to exploit, he silently pleaded with the Padawan. Obi-Wan wasn't entirely sure why it had affected Anakin as deeply as it did. The boy was thinking of his mother, certainly, but there seemed to be more to it than that. What hasn't he told me, he wondered briefly before forcing the thought from his own mind. He didn't want his worry for his Padawan to distract him from the more immediate concern Q represented. Having his attention divided like that would give Q the advantage over him as well. Still, he couldn't help thinking about the complexities in Anakin Skywalker that contrasted sharply with the simply life a Jedi should lead.

Carefully masking his feelings, Obi-Wan answered, "I understand perfectly well what you offer, Q. I may not possess these god-like abilities you describe, yet I do command enough power to know that more would utterly destroy me. I can feel the Force flow through me. That is all I require."

Q shook his head sadly, trying once more before giving up Obi-Wan as a lost cause. "A foolish decision my friend," he said. "Your Jedi Masters--"

"Would not have had to think it over as long as I had before refusing," Obi-Wan interrupted, an amused gleam in his eye.

"Aw, you're too old, anyway," Q said with a dismissive flick of his hand as he turned from the Jedi Knight. "So set in your ways you can't see beyond them to accept something new even if it is better than the old. But, the younger generation..." Q trailed off, glancing meaningfully at Anakin.

"Leave Anakin out of this," Obi-Wan said warningly, all good humor gone from his tone.

Q suddenly smiled, knowing he'd hit Obi-Wan at a weak point. A white glow surrounded the being, for a moment completely shielding him from view through its blinding glare. When it faded his appearance was altered drastically. Instead of the odd red and black uniform he had been wearing, he now had on a long black robe with a white silken sash draped around his neck. A matching flat-topped cap with a gold tassel dangling from it adorned his head, and a small pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on the end of his nose. The significance of the costume change was lost on the two Jedi, however, who did not recognize the clothing style from any planet they had ever visited. They were too stunned by Q's first real demonstration of power, however bizarre his use of it, to dwell on the wardrobe change anyway.

In a precise, formal tone, Q enunciated, "Oh, come now, Master teacher. Let the boy decide for himself what to do with my offer! Don't we teachers normally want our students to learn to think for themselves?"

Carefully composing his expression into one of calm neutrality and hoping Anakin wouldn't draw attention to himself, Obi-Wan spoke up in an effort to keep Q's attention focused solely on him and not his Padawan.

"So you've shown us a sampling of the Q powers," he said, voice betraying none of the astonishment he still felt. "It is still more power than even a Jedi can safely control. With god-like abilities the temptation would be too great to set ourselves up as gods. That much power would ultimately be as seductive as the dark side. I don't know that even Master Yoda could handle that temptation. I am not just speaking for Anakin and myself; I am speaking for all Jedi. Q, we are not interested."

"Is this how you feel too, Ani?" Q said, using Anakin's childhood nickname with gentleness that Obi-Wan felt was not in the being's true nature.

With the pressure on him, Anakin looked from his Master to the super-being uncertainly. His indecision lasted for only a moment--a moment Q picked up on--then he answered almost reluctantly, "I agree with Master Obi-Wan. It's too much power even for the Jedi."

"Well, if that's how you feel then I'm sorry to have troubled you," Q said briskly, turning his back on them. "You may continue with your own pathetic little attempts to bring order to the galaxy. But don't say I didn't try to help..." With that, Q vanished, but not before throwing Anakin one last, interested glance.

Feeling a steady hum throughout the ship, the two Jedi realized their ship was moving. Anakin rushed to the cockpit to determine the extent of Q's tampering and found they were on a heading to Coruscant.

"At least this Q is sending us home," Obi-Wan commented.

Anakin risked a glance at his Master and saw that for once, Obi-Wan looked extremely flustered, at a loss to explain or even believe what had just occurred. Obi-Wan caught Anakin's stare and tried to mask his uneasiness, and the dread that this would not be their last encounter with Q.

As for Anakin, he was still seething from his inability to challenge Q.

"Master," the Padawan said heatedly, "we need to seek out Q and make him tell us what he really wants with the Jedi." His hand was already clenched around his lightsaber's hilt.

Obi-Wan looked mildly at the wrathful young man, seeming almost amused by Anakin's statement. "How would you suggest we do this, Padawan? He appears to have us at a disadvantage."

"But other Jedi may be in danger--" Anakin insisted.

Obi-Wan held up a hand to forestall any further argument. "That is why we must report to the Council about our mission and this...subsequent adventure." The Jedi Knight let out a deep breath and cleared his thoughts. "At any rate," he said dryly, "it looks like we have more to report than I had originally thought!"


	3. Chapter 3

_A/n: hi again. I would like to thank everyone who is reading this and hope that you are enjoying it. Please let me know what you think, and definitely what can be improved on. And please know that none of these characters are mine and I am only borrowing them. I am making no money from this story whatsoever.  
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In the Jedi Council Chamber, Master Yoda blinked with interest as Obi-Wan and Anakin finished reporting on the strange individual they had encountered. "Vanished, the being did, you say?" he asked, folding clawed hands over the walking stick in his lap.

"Are you certain that this was an actual living being, Obi-Wan?" Mace Windu asked, voice incredulous. "You said that you couldn't sense his thoughts or feelings. You're certain it wasn't an illusion set up to make you believe he had these powers?"

"I'm certain, Masters." Obi-Wan confirmed, addressing all the Council members. "I couldn't sense his intentions or motivation for approaching us but I could sense his presence there, and his power--this living energy surrounding him. It was almost as if he let me in... Allowed me to experience his connection to it. This Q is capable of everything he claimed, I'm certain of it."

Yoda closed his eyes to focus on the Force. "Hmmm, powerful this being is, but nothing I sense of him." Yoda sounded disturbed by the revelation. He looked around at the other Jedi in the room. "More we must learn of Q, if to become our benefactor, he is," the Jedi Master said quizzically, focusing once again on Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"You do not believe he is of the Sith?" Ki-Adi-Mundi inquired, his tall forehead inclined in Obi-Wan's direction.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "These powers were like nothing I've ever felt before, possibly beyond both Jedi and Sith. He didn't even seem to be bound by the ways of the Force. To be able to transform matter at will..." Obi-Wan trailed off and fell silent, lost in the troubling thought.

"Obi-Wan, are you saying this being is not connected to the Force?" Windu asked in disbelief, dragging the Jedi Knight out of his reverie.

"I don't know," the younger Jedi admitted. "But he seems to command powers that not even the most skilled Jedi Master could hope to achieve."

"And offered them freely to you, he did," Master Yoda added thoughtfully, voice not betraying how he felt about the situation.

"And to Anakin," Obi-Wan replied slowly, remembering. He seemed to show a great deal of interest in Anakin." Obi-Wan still felt uneasy, unable to shake the sense that this was just the beginning of Q's dealings with the Jedi.

"Ah, saw something special in young Skywalker, this Q has?" Yoda turned his penetrating gaze to the Jedi Padawan and it seemed to Anakin that the Jedi Master looked straight through to his core being. Yoda continued, "Perhaps the key to this situation, young Skywalker is!"

Q watched the Jedi discuss the delightful intrusion he had made on their orderly little lives with something approaching glee. At least they recognize my power and are wise enough to fear it, he thought to himself. Q was still shocked by the audacity Obi-Wan had shown in rejecting his offer. Of course Jean-Luc and company showed much the same contempt usually, but at least he had gotten Riker to taste of the Q power, and the human commander had nearly been unable to resist it. If Picard hadn't interfered, he and the rest of his paltry little crew...

But Obi-Wan Kenobi had not even given Q the chance to properly entice him. He had just stood there with his infuriating calm and given Q a flat-out "no". Q knew there was more going on beneath that serene facade than the Jedi believed Q was able to see, but nothing the super-being was really in the mood to use.

Oh, he could tempt young Anakin Skywalker to get to Obi-Wan, but he wasn't sure that he felt like trying. Granted, the wrathful little Padawan interested Q, but the end result would essentially be the same as trying to get to Jean-Luc Picard through Wesley Crusher.

Q allowed himself a brief smile of amusement at the thought of young Wesley with the Q powers. That boy, who viewed practically everything as a grand new opportunity to experiment, would probably run straight to his mother with every new discovery of what the powers hold. Q could almost hear Wesley saying enthusiastically:

"Look, mom, I can zap people out of existence!"

Then a thought occurred to Q and he smiled cruelly.


	4. Chapter 4

a/n: Thank you so much to everyone who has shown interest in this story. I love all these characters and I only hope I do them justice. I hope you will let me know if I don't. The descriptions of Anakin's former "nocturnal roamings" come more from the books and not so much from the movies. Not an essential plot point, but just to let you know. And it pains me to say they are still not mine and will never be .

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Anakin crept out of the Jedi Temple, putting his Jedi skills of avoiding detection to good use. Most of the Jedi Masters, and most importantly Master Obi-Wan, tended to turn a blind eye to some of his nocturnal roaming, believing it still to be the semi-innocent pursuits of his youth, but lately the Jedi Padawan was not going out in search of spare droid parts or illegal sporting events to engage in. Anakin was going to meet Padme Amidala, the senator for planet Naboo, and the woman he loved and had secretly married. On Coruscant for a meeting of the Republic Senate, she had sent him a message as an "old friend," asking to get together to talk about what had happened since they last met. Anakin was looking forward to seeing her again.

Listening for a moment until satisfied that no one he knew was around, he hailed an automated air taxi and climbed up to the cockpit to see--Q!

The super-being was lounging casually across the front seat and turned a lazy glance Anakin's way as the Jedi Padawan stared in stunned disbelief.

"And what brings you here after curfew, mon Padawan?" Q inquired nonchalantly, folding his hands behind his head.

"None of your business," Anakin said in a rude tone when he was finally able to speak.

"Oh?" Q suddenly sat up, turning with a smile and leaning toward Anakin with interest. "A midnight mission? Or...dare I say it? A clandestine meeting? A secret tryst? Perhaps with a certain Senator?"

Anakin started in surprise, which quickly turned to anger.

"What do you want with me?" he demanded, his mechanical right hand edging toward his lightsaber hilt. How could Q know his thoughts and actions so completely? Not even Master Obi-Wan, who knew him so well, knew the depth of his love and commitment to Padme!

Q dropped the level of his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Relax, Ani, I won't tell Master Kenobi your secret," he said soothingly, reassuringly. "Really, Anakin, I like you. You have just a bit of a rebel in you, which I bet those fussy Jedi Masters of yours are trying desperately to train out of you." Q suddenly stared straight at Anakin and his eyes seemed to burn through the young Jedi. "Don't let them."

"How could you know so much about me? Answer me!" Anakin cried furiously, troubled that his innermost thoughts, carefully buried beyond Jedi scrutiny, could lay so bare and open before Q's gaze.

"Oh, I know more about you than you would even believe," Q replied loftily. "But tell me, is romancing pretty young politicians the way you're supposed to bring balance to the Force?"

Anakin didn't answer, his fists clenched with a rage he was trying desperately to control. Q seemed not to notice; his voice a soft whisper again as if he were afraid someone might be listening in.

"Perhaps we could have this talk somewhere...a little more private?" Q suggested, raising an arm.

A sudden whiteness surrounded Anakin Skywalker, blocking out the space hangar. For the briefest moment he couldn't see or touch or--worst of all-- sense anything. Then the bright white glow faded, perception returned, and he looked around to see sand stretching out in all directions as far as the eye could see. Nearby Q regarded Anakin thoughtfully, arm crossed over his chest.

"Not exactly a deserted island, but a desert planet is the next best thing," Q commented dryly.

Anakin's mind reeled as he gazed around at the new, barren surroundings. This was just another demonstration of Q's immense power, he knew. Q was apparently trying to show how powerless the Jedi Padawan was in comparison to the super-being by transporting him against his will to some place deserted; far from the Jedi Temple, from civilization, with nothing surrounding him but hot, gritty, painfully blinding sand...

And suddenly Anakin knew where he was.

"Tatooine!" he breathed in disbelief.

Q nodded absently, confirming Anakin's intuition although the twin suns blazing mercilessly down upon him would have been proof enough of his location. "The place you were raised, correct?" Q inquired. "And the place you faced a major turning point in your life that has helped shape your destiny?"

"The day the Jedi discovered me," Anakin whispered, remembering.

"Not even close!" Q laughed, gesturing grandly towards the distant horizon. Anakin looked in that direction and his heart throbbed painfully in his chest as a scene from his not-so-distant past materialized in front of him. It was not that scene he thought of, when he had tenderly parted from his mother; an innocent child bravely leaving her loving presence to go where his destiny led him with the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. No, it was that second parting from her, when Shmi Skywalker was violently taken from him forever and he, consumed by hatred had ruthlessly slaughtered every Tusken Raider in the encampment where he had found her; the ones who had tortured his mother to death, and the innocent women and children as well. The day he had acted not at all as a Jedi.

Unable to turn away from the horrific images as they played over and over before his blurred gaze, Anakin felt the same rage, grief, and pain he had experienced then twist in his stomach now, threatening to overwhelm him again. It was all he could do to force himself not to snatch up his lightsaber and avenge his mother's death all over again on the images projected before him by the being he knew only as Q.

"Why--Why are you showing me this? Why are you making me feel this again?" Anakin cried, his choked voice barely above a whisper.

"Because this is the event that, perhaps more than any other, has shaped you life and the path it will take," came Q's unrepentant voice, seemingly from far away, and doing nothing to shatter Anakin's sense of being all alone and very much afraid.

Anakin dropped to his knees in the desolate wasteland of sand as he had at his mother's gravesite, resisting the urge to complete the picture by gathering up a handful of dust to sift through his fingers hopelessly. Suddenly Q appeared directly behind him and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, a gesture that felt anything but comforting.

"Poor, little, orphan Ani," Q said with mock sympathy. "Think how differently this scene could have played out if you would have had _my_ powers," he suggested softly, insistently.

Anakin rose to face Q, the Padawan's eyes red as though he'd been crying, but as dry as their desert surroundings. "I'm a Jedi. I know I'm better than this," he said mechanically, echoing what he'd told Padme after it happened.

Q shook his head. "No you're not," he replied, ignoring Anakin's despair. "No mortal being is. Oh, they think they're better than the savage creatures they actually are, but the truth is, you guys aren't any better than your ancestors who carried bone clubs to brain each other with."

Q paused for a moment and then said in a gentler, more friendly tone, "Look, Anakin, most people who go through an ordeal like you went through think about taking vengeance like you did, and believe that because they didn't they're better people for it. But you, you're different! You took action when most people would have rolled over and turned the other cheek! Anakin," Q said in an excited tone, "that kind of determination proves that you're the only one worthy of the power of the Q!"

"No," Anakin said faintly, "my Master--"

"Doesn't know what he's missing out on, mon Padawan," Q interrupted airily. "He had his chance and he refused. This is about_you_, Ani. This is your decision. Besides, Master Kenobi isn't here." Q shrugged. "Boy, you'd think he'd know how to lighten up! He almost reminds me of an old acquaintance of mine." The super-being paused for a moment, comparing the two, then amended, "On second thought, no one could be as stuffy as Jean-Luc!"

"But--" Anakin weakly protested again.

"But, what?" Q countered, as persuasive as a Jedi mind trick, "You said yourself, and I quote, 'I will be the most powerful Jedi ever.' All I'm offering you is a chance to make that happen." Q stopped speaking and stepped away from Anakin, as if he'd made his point and was just waiting for the appropriate response.

Anakin felt as if the world spun crazily around him, moving in closer and closer in an effort to crush him.

"Help me! Master Obi-Wan!" his mind cried out in agony, even though he knew his master couldn't come to his rescue. "Padme, help me..." But she couldn't respond either.

However, Q could. "Oh, of course. Mustn't be late for our secret rendezvous with Senator Amidala!"

And everything faded to nothingness once more.


	5. Chapter 5

a/n: Sorry it's been so long. Rereading it found me not as happy with it as I was when I first wrote it. Hopefully I've improved it. Please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome. And they are still not mine.

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Anakin came to himself slowly, becoming aware of another person in the room Q had dropped him off in. Not yet able to make out the features, he began to back away from the unknown person. "Q?" he said tentatively, not wanting to be shown any more horrific memories.

"Anakin?" a soft feminine voice reached him through those terrible recollections, the same one that reached out to him that awful day his mother died. "Anakin, it's me," Padme said, moving closer to hold him after she had recovered from the shock of seeing him materialize in front of her. "Ani, what's wrong?" she asked, her worry for him evident in her voice.

Anakin rubbed his eyes with his clenched hands as if in exhaustion and smiled for Padme's benefit, not wanting to frighten her with his ordeal. "Nothing's wrong. Just revisiting a past experience, that's all." He drew her towards him and held her tightly, his Padawan braid gently brushing her cheek. She pulled back slightly to look into his face. "I'm fine, Padme," he said again as he saw from her concerned expression that she wasn't convinced. He could share almost anything with her but he just couldn't share this...

Padme didn't press the question. If he wanted to talk about it he would, so she would just have to wait until he was ready. She could feel that he was in anguish over something that had happened, but as much as it hurt her to see him suffering like this, she couldn't force him to share that burden with her. All she could do for him now was hold him and help to lessen his pain that way. So she did.

"Ani," she murmured softly, as he laid his head on her shoulder. She stroked his hair gently as if he were once more the lonely nine-year-old child shivering in the cold of space. It was the same gentle gesture she had used years later—but so recently—to comfort the hurting youth nearly destroyed by the death of his mother and what he had done to avenge that death, in those hours before he had brought Shmi Skywalker's lifeless form back to his stepfather's homestead to be properly mourned. Both times, Padme recalled distantly, she had been trying to help him as he dealt with the pain of his mother being taken away from him. Padme had been there for Anakin those times before and she wasn't going to take away that comfort now.

"Shh, Ani, it's all right," she said again soothingly, feeling him tremble in her arms.

Anakin tightly embraced Padme, his only lifeline; the only thing he knew was real in this moment. But while he clung so closely to her his thoughts were not anywhere so near. His thoughts were on that scene form the past he had been forced to relive as a spectator to his own actions, and they were on something else as well.

He couldn't get Q's offer out of his mind. His own words came back to haunt him, the ones he had told Padme the day his mother died.

When Padme told him he wasn't all-powerful he had shouted angrily at her, "Well, I should be!" He told her he would be the most powerful Jedi ever and that he would even stop people from dying. What if accepting Q's proffered powers was the only way to fulfill that vow? Should he accept such power to prevent another tragedy like Shmi Skywalker's death from occurring?

Obi-Wan Kenobi's face suddenly floated to the forefront of Anakin's mind and the words his Jedi Master had spoken to the super-being ran back through his memory. All the lessons Master Obi-Wan had taught him--how to control his emotion so it wouldn't master him and to trust in the Force to control his actions even as he learned to properly command such power as it gave him--these things swirled around in his mind , in direct opposition to where his other line of thinking was attempting to take him. Obi-Wan would not approve of Anakin even considering Q's proposal.

But, Anakin thought with a sudden flash of anger, Obi-Wan didn't understand what it was like to lose a mother. Obi-Wan had lost his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, but losing a Master wasn't the same as a mother. A mother tenderly bandaged knees and laughed as she told you to stop growing, teased you about future girlfriends and helped stand your half-assembled droids back up after they toppled over. A mother comforted you and worried over you and loved you.

Besides, Anakin decided, what was good for Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn't necessarily good for Anakin Skywalker. Just because Master Obi-Wan didn't trust himself to be able to handle the Q powers didn't give him the right to make the decision for Anakin as well. After all, Anakin could handle the powers of the Jedi, right? And wasn't it worth the risk, even if he saved just one person by accepting Q's gift?

"Splendid!" Q's voice rang gleefully in his mind and Anakin recoiled in shock, looking wildly around for its source.

"Anakin?" Padme said in confusion, feeling him pull away from her and wanting very much to know what was wrong, what had disturbed him so much.

"I-I've got to go," Anakin's voice faltered as he tore himself from Padme's comforting embrace and staggered towards the room's exit. Before she could do more than make a grab for his arm, to make him talk to her, he was gone.

Padme wanted to run after him, to stay with him until he recovered from whatever had distressed him so, or until he felt the need to talk to her about it, but something within her mind seemed to hold her back. She didn't understand the feeling and didn't like it. The young man she loved was hurting and in need of someone to help him through the pain and she could not even force herself to go to him!

But, a small, irritatingly rational voice spoke up inside her, perhaps he needed to sort through things on his own and this was the best way she could help him, giving him space to work his own way through it. And she would always be there ready for when he decided to talk to her about his pain.

"I know what I can do," Padme said determinedly, leaving the room to find a speeder on her own. It was time to visit another old friend.

Anakin's feet pounded on permacrete, fists clenched tightly as he ran. He tried to outrun his thoughts, but his mind was racing faster than his legs could run. Finally, far from Padme's location, deep in the city's under-levels, on streets far too empty to be naturally so, Anakin had to stop running to catch his breath. With no one around to hear or care, he shouted, "Q!" into the night, once he was able to do so without gasping for air. A white glow Anakin recognized and was almost beginning to despise shimmered in his peripheral vision so he turned to face Q.

"You called?" the god-like being yawned, sounding incredibly bored.

"I want this power you offered," Anakin said, painfully aware of the disapproval Master Obi-Wan would show once he found out about this, but determined not to let that disapproval stand in his way.

"What?" Q replied in the same bored tone. "Oh, that! Yeah, about that power..." Q looked Anakin over slowly, and then suddenly began to laugh. "I already gave it to you!"

"What?!" Anakin demanded. "Why would you do that to me?"

"I had a feeling you'd accept." Q held up his hands in a placating gesture. "So perhaps Jedi aren't the only beings that can sense things about people and I jumped the gun based on this sense I had of you. Maybe the Force was with me. What does it matter? I was right about you, wasn't I?"

Anakin hid the mental turmoil he was experiencing, saying only, "So you're saying I've had these powers since Tatooine?"

Q chuckled softly. "Did you think I was the one who dropped you into Senator Amidala's waiting arms?"

Come to think of it, Anakin did feel something different inside of him. New power coursed through him in a strange new way, so unlike the smooth flow of the Force. He really did have the powers of the Q!

In the Jedi Temple two beings sensed the new disturbance in the Force, and both felt it centered on Anakin Skywalker.

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a/n: no great shock that Anakin accepts, is it? I hope I have gotten the characters right. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten Obi-Wan either. Anakin just kind of took over for a while. Please let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

a/n: Hi, everybody! Thanks so much for following this story so far. Hope it doesn't disappoint. As I'm sure everybody knows, none of these guys are mine. Oh, and I have Q quoting a bit of The Walrus and the Carpenter, which was written by Lewis Carrol. All mentions of Master Windu are in here purely to torment my best friend, who hates him. I love being evil. On with the story!

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Obi-Wan Kenobi had felt a strange sense of foreboding that he could not explain; a feeling that began soon after Anakin had retired for the evening. He paced the length of the meditation chamber, pondering the sensation. It was almost as if some other presence, some other power had invaded his mind, making it difficult to tap into the Force. He didn't recognize the presence but it had a familiarity about it that disquieted him. It wasn't the pervasive taint of the dark side, the aura of evil that he had felt projected by the Sith Lord that killed Obi-Wan's Jedi Master, or more recently, by Count Dooku once Obi-Wan had faced the fallen Jedi in battle. So what was it?

Nor could Obi-Wan sense Anakin's presence, which made him all the more worried. If Anakin were sleeping it might help to explain the absence, but with the other sense troubling Obi-Wan this line of reasoning just didn't feel right. And knowing Anakin as well as he did, his Padawan being safely asleep was far too simple an explanation.

He needed to go to the boy. But, as worried as Master Kenobi was, he somehow could not bring himself to check on his Padawan. This was probably the most disturbing feeling of all. He knew something was not right; perhaps couldn't quite pinpoint it beyond knowing that it concerned Anakin; but it was like something, this other presence had clouded Obi-Wan's mind to the necessity of rushing to his Padawan's aid. At last a hazy perception rose sluggishly within the Jedi's mind and he voiced it before it could sink back down to be lost again.

"Q!"

Obi-Wan wasted no time. He rushed to find Master Yoda, having a feeling he needed senses more attuned to the Force than his own to sort all this out.

Yoda was expecting him, the wizened Jedi Master in his usual meditation spot but not projecting the mental calm of the exercise.

"Master Yoda, pardon my intrusion, but I--" Obi-Wan began, bowing quickly in respect while speaking.

"In grave danger I fear is young Skywalker, Master Obi-Wan," Yoda interrupted the breathless young Jedi Knight. "In danger of losing himself, your Padawan is!"

That was all Obi-Wan needed to know. Hoping Master Yoda would forgive the rudeness of his departure, he thanked the Jedi Master hurriedly and raced to Anakin's quarters.

Yoda shook his head as he watched Kenobi rush out of the chamber to help the Jedi Padawan.

A high-maintenance Padawan, Anakin Skywalker was, one that required almost constant supervision. Very strong in the Force Anakin was, that much was certain. And Yoda feared that Anakin had gotten even more powerful yet.

Yoda fervently hoped the Force would be with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a powerful enough ally it would prove.

Mace Windu entered the Council Chamber, finding it empty except for Master Yoda, who appeared contemplative to the senior Council member.

"What's wrong?" Windu asked, walking towards Yoda and dropping into the seat beside him with a power and grace that lent itself naturally to his movements.

Yoda sighed. "This Q, I sense."

Windu looked alarmed. "His presence is here?" he asked in disbelief.

Master Yoda nodded. "Difficult to sense, he is. Interest in young Skywalker, he shows. Because of this, sense him, Obi-Wan could. Yoda turned to face him, and Windu could feel how disturbed the venerable Jedi Master was by what he had sensed. But he could also feel something else troubling him as well.

"There is more to this?" Mace Windu asked, dreading the answer.

"Important to Q, the Jedi are not," Yoda answered reluctantly. "An experiment, we are to him. Curious he is about us, but a threat he does not believe we pose to him."

Windu felt himself go cold at the news. "But he poses one to us," he said slowly. "I will gather together the rest of the council. We will find him and find some way to protect ourselves from him."

"No," Yoda replied. Windu glanced sharply at him, waiting for the diminutive Master's reason why. "In young Skywalker, our fate rests," Yoda continued. "On his choices, we must rely. If unwisely he chooses, sealed, our doom is."

With a chill, Mace Windu wondered if the Q threat was all Master Yoda was referring to with the words.

Obi-Wan flew to Anakin's door, lightsaber in hand but not activated. He stopped short of forcing the door open, valuing the boy's privacy, but instead pounded on the door urgently.

"Anakin! Anakin! It's Obi-Wan! Open the door!" Obi-Wan cried desperately, hoping his Padawan was in a condition to answer. No reply came.

Beginning to fear the worst, Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, ready for anything. The Force gathered around him like a reassuring mantle, he prepared to burst through the door when it gently slid open, Anakin Skywalker standing calmly within.

From Anakin's appearance it was obvious he had either been sleeping or preparing to go to sleep. He stared questioningly at the glowing weapon in his perplexed Master's hands. "Is something wrong, Master?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"Excuse me, Padawan, I sensed--I mean, I felt a disturbance in the Force and--I thought you were in danger..." Obi-Wan scanned the room uneasily, as if not completely convinced there was no unseen danger lurking there, then deactivated the lightsaber, saying in a still cautious tone, "I must have been mistaken."

"I guess so," Anakin shrugged.

"You haven't sensed...Q's presence here, have you?" Obi-Wan asked, still certain that something didn't feel right, even if he couldn't locate its source, or any trace of the elusive Q.

"No, I haven't," Anakin yawned again, saying, "Everything is fine, Master."

"I see." Obi-Wan said warily. "Good night, Padawan," he added, still a little on his guard.

"Good night, Master," Anakin responded sleepily. The door slid shut.

Once Master Obi-Wan was safely out of the way, Anakin began to glow again. When the light dimmed, his sleepwear was replaced by Jedi robe and tunic once more.

"Handy trick," he commented to the figure forming in the middle of the room.

Q laughed again, and Anakin wondered why the sound still bothered him.

"You don't know the half of what your new power can do," Q said in the same unnerving tone. "Much more than just messing with Master Kenobi's head, let me assure you. Fun as that might be..."

"But I can feel it!" Anakin said insistantly. "I **am **the most powerful Jedi that ever was! I'm even more powerful than Master Yoda or Master Windu!" Anakin's young face grew somber as he added, "I might have even been able to save my mother, if I only had these powers before she died!" Frustration and grief flooded his eyes.

Q seemed amused by Anakin's last statement. "What are you talking about? You can go back and save her any time you want!"

"I-I can?" Anakin was dumbfounded. "How?" he asked.

"You wouldn't understand the temporal mechanics, Ani," Q answered, adding thoughtfully, "at least, not without some...guidance." He spread his arms wide in an all-encompassing gesture. "'The time has come the Walrus said, to talk of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings; and why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings," Q quoted with a wide smile.

"What does that mean?" Anakin asked in confusion.

The smile faded from Q's face and his arms dropped disgustedly to his sides. "Never mind. Just follow me and I'll show you what having the Q power really means." With a last malevolent smile he disappeared, followed a heartbeat later by Anakin Skywalker.

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a/n: This isn't dragging too much, is it? I really hope not. Let me know what you think! Your opinions are valuable to me.


	7. Chapter 7

a/n: hi again. Thanks to everyone who has been following this story so far. I appreciate you all. And I think that everyone knows that these characters and settings are not mine. I could never come up with something as amazing as Star Wars or Star Trek! I just like playing in their worlds, and this was just written out of love, not for money. Though reviews would be nice...

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Obi-Wan felt caged by his surroundings as he paced the floor of the same meditation chamber, head bowed, needing to distance himself from Anakin so that he could think. For once he could feel the austerity of the Jedi lifestyle, almost as if it were closing in on him. Ah, the simple life of a Jedi. Clear mind, centered calm, and the gentle flow of the Force as he opened himself up to it...

So why didn't anything seem so simple and clear anymore? He knew in his heart that something was wrong; that something was happening with Anakin. So then why was he so powerless to help his Padawan? Even knowing that a--so far as he could sense--omnipotent being was behind it all did no more than silently scream at him through his mental haze. No plan for dealing with the situation forced itself through his mind, which only heightened his sense of frustration. Confronting Anakin didn't work. Now what?

Obi-Wan again found himself wondering about Q's interest in the Jedi, and especially Anakin. He couldn't figure out Q's motive for making his offer. Certainly not out of the kindness of the being's heart. No, it still seemed to Obi-Wan that Q was toying with them all, that this was all just a game for Q's private amusement. But what Obi-Wan couldn't determine, and it worried him far more than he cared to admit, was Anakin a pawn in Q's game, or the prize?

The Jedi's head suddenly jerked up as he felt a familiar presence approach the Temple. Worry and fear radiated from her, mingling with Master Kenobi's own. But how did Senator Amidala learn of Anakin's situation?

He left the Temple to meet her; thankful for an ally who, with the exception of himself, and possibly Master Yoda, knew Anakin's thought and dreams as well as anyone could, Anakin having confided in her often. For once, it might be helpful to have someone as emotionally attached to Anakin as Padme Amidala was, Obi-Wan decided. It was quite possible that Anakin would be more willing to respond to Obi-Wan if his friend Padme was also there for encouragement.

Padme stopped short as she saw the lone Jedi Knight heading toward her in the space hangar. Obi-Wan Kenobi, exactly the man she needed to talk to.

"My lady," he said as he approached with a quick formal bow, "this is a surprise,

but--"

"Master Kenobi, please, we do not have time for formality," Padme interrupted somewhat impatiently. "Something is wrong with Anakin," she added more softly, looking anxiously into the Jedi's eyes for the slightest hope that she was wrong.

"I know. I can sense it," he replied, still a little surprised that she came. "But how did you know?"

"I saw him tonight. He came to see me and…and… Something had really shaken him. I thought maybe you would know more about what had happened." As the young woman spoke, her concern and fear for Anakin made her seem more vulnerable than Obi-Wan could remember ever seeing her before, in spite of her strength of purpose and regal poise. But something she said...

"Wait," Obi-Wan said suddenly. "What time did you see him?"

"I don't know exactly. I saw him in my rooms; something made him run away, and immediately after he left I came here. It hasn't been very long. Why?" Padme answered, a little testily. What did it matter what time she saw Anakin? He needed her! Was it all that important for Obi-Wan to catch Anakin for breaking curfew now? Really, she almost felt like trying to knock some sense other than the Jedi variety into Master Kenobi's head, when she saw the expression on his face change to one of genuine alarm.

"What's wrong?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Anakin was here. I saw him not too long ago. He wouldn't have had time to be there and back!" Obi Wan cried, running back toward the Jedi Temple with Padme close at his heels.

This time when Obi-Wan reached Anakin's door he stretched out with the Force to try to sense his Padawan's presence, without luck. Anakin wasn't inside.

Obi-Wan used the Force to over-ride the lock on the door and leaped inside, looking around at the emptiness of a droid- cluttered but otherwise sparsely furnished Jedi room, minus one occupant.

Only one explanation came to Obi-Wan's mind regarding Anakin's new nocturnal activities, and everything clicked into place.

"He took the power Q offered!" Obi-Wan shrugged hopelessly. "That boy..." he said with a long-suffering sigh.

"What?" Padme asked in confusion, unable to make heads or tails of what Obi-Wan was talking about. "What is going on? Where is Anakin?"

Obi-Wan explained to her as best he could about their strange encounter with the god-like entity known as Q and about the offer he had made them. He told her about their refusal, and Anakin's seeming hesitation...

"I saw the interest Q took in Anakin! I should have foreseen this!" Obi-Wan concluded, suddenly angry with himself.

"Foreseen this, you could not have, Master Kenobi," a voice said behind them.

Obi-Wan and Padme spun around, both having a bad feeling about what they would see. The turn of phrase was Master Yoda's but the voice belonged to--

"Master Q, at your service," Q said benevolently, wearing the brown robes of a member of the Jedi Order. "I must admit that I didn't expect you to catch on so quickly. I am impressed, Master Obi-Wan. Perhaps here is hope for your absurd little Order after all," Q said with a smile.

Obi-Wan didn't respond. Those ears look better on Master Yoda, he thought critically.

"Oh, fine. Have it your way," Q replied to Obi-Wan's thoughts, his long, green ears shrinking down to human size and color. "Better now? I wouldn't want to offend you with my fashion sense."

"Where is Anakin?" Padme demanded anxiously.

"And this must be the enchanting Senator Amidala I've heard so much about!" Q stepped forward with a charming smile as he held out his hand as if to take hers. When she kept her arms crossed in defiance he shrugged indifferently and replied, "Oh, he's probably exploring the mysteries of the universe. He's a young man and new worlds have just opened up to him. I'd assume he's seeing what all is out there." Q held one arm out in a gesture of invitation. "You can try calling out to him, but personally, I doubt he'll listen."

I told you to leave Anakin out of this!" Obi-Wan shouted at Q, his anxiety over his Padawan escalating to new, unforeseen heights.

"Temper, temper, Master Jedi," Q taunted. "Don't you guys have a little line about where that's supposed to lead? Let's see, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to a big mess that you'll expect me to clean up." Q peered closely at the furious Jedi Knight. "What do you expect to do about it anyway?" he asked smugly. "Come on! You Jedi think that you are all-knowing and you can't even recognize a dark Jedi standing inches from your face! Even with your vaunted powers in 'the Force' you still couldn't sense my presence unless I chose to allow you to. Face it, I am far greater than anything in your Order's collected, rather pathetically limited, experience."

Obi-Wan refused to answer, which delighted Q further. He poked a finger at Obi-Wan's chest, his lips twisted in a satisfied smirk. "I think you're just jealous because Anakin recognized this and chose me over you. And now he has more experience than you could hope to show him in a lifetime. Come to think of it...now that Anakin has surpassed his teacher, he doesn't really need one anymore, does he?"

The super-being made a motion as if he were brandishing a lightsaber but instead of being struck down by a blade of light, Obi-Wan felt himself engulfed by a brilliant, deadly radiance. He slumped down to the floor in agony as Padme screamed, "Anakin!"

She fell to her knees beside him, clasping his limp hand in hers. "Obi-Wan, please be all right," she pleaded, desperately willing his strength to return. Padme couldn't believe what was happening. Obi-Wan was a powerful Jedi Knight. How could this man standing triumphantly over them be able to overcome him like this? She wondered in horror.

Thinking he'd finally gotten the hang of the Q's ability to travel through time, Anakin stood no longer powerless to rescue his mother, whom before he could only cradle in his arms as she lay dying, when he felt it. The disturbance in the Force--the power he had ignored to gain the Q powers--hit him like a shock wave that he could not suppress. Obi-Wan was in trouble!

"Master!" he cried as he felt Obi-Wan's presence ebbing away and heard Padme's distraught cry for his help. And he felt another presence there as well. Q.

"But what about my mother?" Anakin looked despairingly down at the encampment where his mother would soon be taken and slowly tortured to death. Something within told him that he would only have the opportunity to save one, and his mind cruelly forced him to make a choice.

He had already lost his mother and that pain, along with his own inability to save her, had nearly destroyed him. But he had survived that loss. To lose Master Obi-Wan and Padme, he felt now would be even more unbearable. If he used these powers, which he had known he was never meant to have in the first place, to save his mother, but Obi-Wan and Padme died because of it...Anakin didn't think he could live with himself if something happened to them as well. He had to save them!

Agonizing over the decision, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Mom," and disappeared through time once more.

"What did you do to him?" Padme demanded, venomously glaring up at Q as she knelt beside the dying Jedi Knight.

"Nothing your tiny consciousness could comprehend, my dear," Q said in a surprisingly pleasant tone.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that!" Anakin's voice said sharply behind them. Padme looked up, startled. If Q experienced the same feeling he didn't show it.

"Ah, welcome back, mon Padawan! How's your mother--" Q stopped abruptly as Anakin rushed past him to his fallen Master's side, completely ignoring the super-being. "What-What are you doing?" Q inquired in surprise.

"Saving my Master." Anakin called upon all the power he possessed, new Q power mingling with the energy of the living and unifying Force in his effort to save Obi-Wan. He didn't know if what he was doing would work, didn't know if he could make it work, but he had to try. Obi-Wan couldn't die, he just couldn't!

Anakin held his breath as he anxiously watched Obi-Wan for any sign of movement, and let it out in a long, ragged sigh as he felt a warm glow flow out of him and into the Jedi Knight.

"Master!" he cried in relief and gratitude as life slowly began returning to Obi-Wan's still form. "Obi-Wan, I'm sorry..."

Obi-Wan gasped sharply, a good sign since he was barely breathing a moment earlier. "I take it--you still need me--after all?" he managed to say with a pained smile, struggling to sit up.

Anakin quickly put an arm around the Jedi to help support him. "Of course I need you, Master! If I had lost you too..."

Q watched the touching scene before him, shaking his head reprovingly.

You chose him over dear old mom? Really, Ani, I'm disappointed. I honestly thought you showed potential, but I believe I may have been wrong about you."

"I guess even a Q can make mistakes," Anakin retorted, his back still to the omnipotent being.

"Well!" Q huffed. "I don't think you deserve my powers after all!"

"Take them back. They interfere with my Jedi abilities!"

"Fine!" Q shouted angrily. "But don't think I'm the only party that's taken an interest in you, young Skywalker!" And with that, Q vanished.

Padme stared at the spot where Q last stood. "I hope that's the last we see of him!" She shivered. Anakin stood and wrapped his good arm around her, helping Obi-Wan to his feet with the other. Obi-Wan looked worried, his mind on Q's parting statement. He wondered if Q really was so quick to give up on them.

"Master," Anakin said softly, facing him, "I'm sorry. You were right about the Q power all along. But I couldn't see that. If you and Padme had died because of my impatience--"

"Wait, Padawan," Obi-Wan replied shakily, but with a slight twinkle in his eye. "Anakin, remind me to lecture you about this later. Right now," he paused for a moment to catch his breath, "I don't seem to have the strength!"

Anakin nodded solemnly, knowing Obi-Wan didn't need the reminder and probably wasn't expecting it. And, just this once, perhaps he conveniently wouldn't even get around to giving the lecture anyway. But, just this once, Anakin wouldn't have really minded receiving it, since his Master was still alive to give it.

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a/n: Winding down! Just an epilogue left, I think. Anyway, thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

A/n: close to the end! Thanks so much to all the wonderful readers and reviewers out there. Hope you enjoyed it. And I'm sure you know that I am not the one behind the creation of these dear characters.  


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Anakin stood alone on the hangar deck, his thoughts back on what had happened on Tatooine, and whether the choice he made was the right one. He searched past the tall buildings obstructing his view to a patch of darkening sky, seeking a distant planet that would never again be home. Behind him he felt someone approach, but he didn't turn to look. He already knew who it was.

"Anakin?" Padme's soft voice called to him as she placed a gentle hand on his arm. He felt her eyes on him, carefully watching his expression, and he knew all the bitterness he felt inside showed plainly in his profile. "I'll escort you back to your apartments when you're ready, Senator," Anakin said in a coldly formal tone of voice. But Padme wasn't ready to leave just yet, not while she knew Anakin needed her.

"Obi-Wan went back to his room. He was exhausted. I thought you might want to know," she said, apologizing for Anakin's absent Master.

Anakin nodded. "He's already asleep," he replied quietly, almost to himself as his gaze softened.

"Would you like some company?" she asked. He didn't answer, but he didn't push her away, either.

Obi-Wan wouldn't have understood. Anakin had come to accept this a long time ago. But Padme could soothe him at his darkest moments, maybe not healing, but certainly easing the pain of the scars he bore. Maybe that was the way it should be. Perhaps it was his Master's place rather than Padme's to speak with him about what had happened but there were some things not even the Force could provide; some things Padme was more sensitive about than even the greatest Jedi.

"I could have saved her this time," he said, not turning to look at her. "I had the power, I was right there; if it weren't for Master Obi-Wan nearly dying..."

Anakin shook his head furiously to hide his tears, finally spinning around to face Padme. "I chose the Jedi over her again!" he cried in hopeless frustration. His hands clenched into fists. "I keep sacrificing everything I am, everything I have to the Jedi Order and Master Obi-Wan. Now, even my mother!"

Padme listened patiently, her heart aching for him. She sudden anger wasn't directed at anyone in particular, just the cruel situation in which he had felt completely powerless, despite his abilities. Something more powerful than Anakin always seemed to work against him when all he wanted to do was to help others. Padme prayed he would not allow despair to cause him to give up completely. She determined not to allow him to give in to it, not as long as she was there for him.

"I think your mother would understand, Ani," she said gently, patting his arm to comfort him. Anakin jerked away from her support.

"Would she?" he asked bitterly. "She's dead, Padme, and I don't know if it would have been better if I had saved her instead!" He shrugged faintly, trying to control his feelings of utter helplessness. "I don't know if I'd feel better right now. Why did I save Master Obi-Wan?" Don't get me wrong," Anakin added quickly, a need to understand it all replacing his brief anger. "I don't regret saving him but...Why couldn't I help both of them? Why'd I have to choose between..." he trailed off, unable to finish.

"I think you made the right choice, Anakin," Padme replied, slipping her arm around his back, giving him her support in that simple gesture.

He looked down at her delicate form, amazed at the strength he always found there. "How can you know that?" he softly demanded of her, this time allowing her loving embrace to stay.

She turned her face upward to look straight into his haunted eyes. "Because I know how much you loved your mother and how you miss her. I know how painful it was for you when she died. I don't think you would have let anything stand in your way if it were the right decision to save her instead of Obi-Wan."

Anakin didn't answer. With Padme's arm still around him and his arm now resting on her shoulders, they stood silently together staring at the stars.


	9. A Different View of the End

A/n: Ever have a story that told you how it wanted to be written? This is that story for me. It was originally going to be humor but fell to the dark, angsty side; Anakin decided to take it over, the little snot; and I was going to end it two chapters ago, somewhat more happily than it does now. And now Q has decided he wants the last word, when last chapter was supposed to be the end. If any more characters come clamoring for attention I shall whack them soundly with Master Yoda's stick. Not entirely sure I'm happy with this, so please let me know if it makes any sense at all. If not, I'll just delete it and it can still end on the last chapter. Anyway, thank you for following this story and either way, this is the end!

A different view of the end

From high atop the towers of the Jedi Temple, another watched the senator soothe the hotheaded apprentice. Q told himself that none of this mattered; it was just an experiment after all. An experiment with an outcome he hadn't entirely anticipated, but it didn't change the course of the future. Just because the little angst-ridden Padawan had succeeded in throwing off the seduction of the Q power did not mean that he would succeed a second time with a more familiar power. And the Jedi were too blind to see it all…

Not that he could say he really expected too much. After all, look who they had pinned all their hopes onto, and what that outcome would be.

"You really should learn to choose your prophetic beings a lot more carefully," Q muttered, addressing the majestic Temple whose occupants remained heedless of his warning.

A long time from now, in a distant galaxy, Jean-Luc Picard had invited—or would invite—Q to test humanity. Told him that while they were not perfect, they were still growing and improving. He was convinced that Q would see that they were constantly bettering themselves. Q shook his head, knowing better. These Jedi seemed far more advanced than humanity could ever boast in the bright future Picard envisioned, and yet they were dying from within. Not evolving, stagnating. Burning out in a brief flame that just was not bright enough to stand against the darkness to come. And ignorantly awaiting that final blow to seal their fate. A second being joined Q but the superbeing did not look up, nor care.

"Twilight of the gods?" the blonde Q said conversationally. Q snorted at the term "gods" being used to describe the Jedi Order.

"More like observing entropy in action. Want to watch with me? I'll even provide popcorn, that human staple commonly consumed while watching something entertaining," Q answered, sounding like he could care less, but the other knew differently. Despite Q's words, there was a more personal reason for Q's attention, which was not brought about by amusement at the Jedi plight. Not that it was exactly altruistic either...

"And they have not been in existence as long as the Continuum," the other Q replied in understanding.

"I don't see how that has to do with anything," Q declared in a huff.

"Oh, I think you do."

"Pray enlighten me."

"I think you look at them and see what's happening in the Continuum. Perhaps you're even using them as a control group? I think you're almost hoping they will succeed so that perhaps the Continuum will have a chance also."

Q laughed nastily, "You know that's not going to happen. They've chosen to be blind to what's going on around them. You should have seen the Jedi Council scratching its collective head over what I was going to do. Give them a wake-up call and they'll just roll back over and fall asleep again." He stopped for a moment, and then chuckled lightly. "Though it was rather amusing to watch Master Obi Wan running around when his "Jedi Sense" was tingling." The two sat together impassively for a moment, until Q once again broke the silence.

"Well, it's on their own heads, anyway." he said dismissively. "Give finite beings a little taste of power and you know no good can come of that. These petty squabbles over which side is better, the light or dark…well, I just wanted to give them some perspective."

"These Jedi have done some good, you have to admit," the other Q commented. "They seem to have worked well within their limitations for this long."

"But you and I both know the outcome of this little history lesson. The brat fails. The Order falls." Q turned back toward the scene before them. "But maybe this is a good thing. Maybe they were due for a little pruning."

"And of course, that's why you offered them more power. To help them weed out their ranks?" The blonde Q's tone held more irony than Q cared to hear. "After all the eons, still trying to find new blood to infuse into the Continuum." Blonde Q shook his head and vanished before Q could even think of a scathing response.

Q gave the Jedi Temple, hiding the sheltered Jedi behind its grand walls, one last contemptuous glance. "I really did have higher hopes for you guys," he said softly, before he disappeared himself.


End file.
